Abstract
The aim of the studies was to determine the optimal term of harvest for Satureja montana L. (winter savory) in order to obtain the essential oil rich in antioxidative compounds such as carvacrol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene and β-caryophyllene. Essential oils of S. montanaaerial parts were obtained by hydrodistillation in Deryng-type apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In total, 30 compounds were identified in the savory volatile oil under different harvesting terms (before flowering, during flowering and after the flowering), that represented 94.61 to 97.55% of the oils. The major components were carvacrol (65.43 to 69.99%), its precursors: p-cymene (3.69 to 9.69%) and γ-terpinene (1.51 to 5.92%) as well as β-caryophyllene (2.74 to 4.71%). Moreover, the term of harvest had a significant effect on the content of main essential oil constituents. The highest concentrations of carvacrol, γ-terpinene and β-caryophyllene were observed in the herb collected before flowering, while the highest amounts of p-cymene were noted after the flowering.
Highlights
The genus Satureja belongs to the family Lamiaceae that comprises numerous species growing wild in Mediterranean area
Statistical analysis of the results obtained in the first year of the study as well as the synthesis of the two year study results showed that Satureja montana L. herb collected during the flowering phase and before flowering was characterized by significantly higher concentration of the essential oil in comparison with the herb collected after plant flowering
The results presented in this study shows that the essential oils obtained from winter savory collected at different growth stages had similar compositions
Summary
The genus Satureja belongs to the family Lamiaceae that comprises numerous species growing wild in Mediterranean area. Many are used worldwide as medicinal and spice plants (Vidic et al, 2010). Satureja montana L., commonly called winter or mountain savory, is a bushy perennial subshrub with woody stems at the base, linear leaves and pale pink flowers (Lawless, 2002). This aromatic plant can be found in nature, but it is cultivated as a culinary herb having strong and spicy taste (Silva et al, 2009). Savory is one of the best honey plants and its honey is wellknown as folk remedy for bronchitis (Mastelic and Jerkovic, 2003). The whole plant is mildly antiseptic, carminative, digestive, expectorant and stomachic (Damjanovic-Vratnica et al, 2011)
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